The Broken Plural in Arabic

Abstract

This paper aims to examine types and patterns of the broken plural in Arabic and the impact of phonological rules and ascending and descending diphthongs on the formation of the broken plural in Arabic. It also highlights particular phonological processes such as assimilation, dissimilation, and ascending and descending diphthongs so that it appears that these diphthongs have been phonetically changed by virtue of sound elision, sometimes accomplished by compensation (sound replacement) and sometimes without compensation; on the other hand, the diphthong may remain unchanged since it maintains the clarity and easiness of the linguistic form. Based on what I have so far studied in Arabic grammar, ancient Arabic grammarians explained these patterns alongside the linguistic changes that occur whilst contemporary Arabic scholars used creative and innovative ways to explain them more precisely and accurately. It could be argued that phonetic transcription has played a key role in that. Therefore, this paper is an academic endeavor to study the linguistic aspects of the broken plural in Arabic, with a particular focus on their syntax, phonetics and phonology.